Ice-crusher



in Model.)

N. RIGHARD$ON.

' Ice Crusher. No. 240,185. Patented ApriI -IZ, I881.

fiv'vzesses, r. Inventor.

N.PETER5. PHQTO-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE.

NATHAN RICHARDSON, OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

lCE-CRUSHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,185, dated April 12, 1881. Application filed December 18, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN RICHARDSON, of Gloucester,.in the conn ty of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Ice-Crushers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ice-crushing machines employing two rotary cutters, rotated simultaneously in opposite directions, and provided with cutting-teeth arranged in peripheral rows, which co-operate in crushing a block or lump of ice placed in a hopper surrounding said cutters.-

Heretot'ore in this class of crushers the cutters have been located close to each other, so that the rows of teeth of each cutter will project between the rows of teeth of the other outter, this arrangement being necessary to prevent the passage of two large lumps of ice between the cutters. In consequence ofthe close proximity of the cutters to each other, they are unable to grasp and break large lumps of ice, and all lumps over a given size have to be broken by other means before being supplied to the cutters.

My invention has for its object, first, to en able large blocks of ice to be broken and properly reduced in one and the same machine; and to this end it consists in separating the cutters by an intervening space, so that they can break large lumps of ice, and placing in this space an arresting and splitting device operating to arrest the broken pieces of ice and co-operating with the cutters or breakers in splitting said pieces.

The invention also has for its object to enable the machine to reduce the ice to fragments of any desired size; and to this end it consists in making the arresting and splitting device vertically adjustable, and providing means for positively holding it at any point to which it may be adjusted, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a top view of an ice-crusher embodying my invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 represent, respectively, sections on lines 00 a: and y 3 Fig. 1.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents a frame-work,

of any suitable construction, supporting the parts hereinafter described.

B 0 represent the two rotary cutters or breakers, each of which is preferably composed of a series of saws or toothed plates, 8, set upon an arbor, a, and separated by washers w. The arbors a a have suitable bearin gs in the frame A, and one arbor is provided with a driving-wheel, b, at one end, and at the other with a gear, 0, meshing with a gear, d, on the other arbor, the cutters being thereby rotated simultaneously in opposite directions.

' D represents the hopper.

The cutters B O are so separated that an intervening space of about three inches, more or less, exists between the points of the teeth on the proximate sides of the cutters. This arrangement enables the cutters, when rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, to grasp and break a much larger block of ice than it they were placed close together with the teeth of one projecting between the teeth of the other, as heretofore.

E represents what I call an arresting and splitting device, placed in the space between the cutters or breakers. This device is composed of a stout metal bar, 6, suitably supported on the frame A, and substantially parallel with the axes of the cutters B O, and stout knives ff, riveted or otherwise firmly secured to the bare, and projecting from both sides of the same into the spaces between the teeth of the cutters B O, as shown. The bar 6 is located at or below the level of the axes of the cutters B O, and, with its knives, forms a kind of grating in the space between the cutters,.and arrests all pieces of ice larger than a given size.

It will be seen that the ice broken by the cutters or breakers B 0 falls upon the knives f, and is forced violently against said knives by the continued rotation of the cutters. The knives f are set edgewise to the descending ice, so that they split the broken pieces into 5 smaller fragments, which pass between the blade and the cutters into a chute or receptacle, I. The ice is thus reduced evenly without being crushed into the form of snow.

To regulate the size of the fragments produced by the machine, I make the bar 6 vertically adjustable, and provide means for positively supporting the bar at any point to which it may be adjusted. In the present case I have shown the ends of the bar movable in slots in the sides of the hopper and supported by two screw-bolts, J J, working in tapped lugs L L on the frame A. By turning said bolts the bar 6 may be raised or lowered, as desired.

It is obvious that by lowering the bar below the level of the axes of the cutters larger fragments of ice will be permitted to pass between the blades f and cutters B C than when the bar is placed higher. I do not limit myself to any particular means for supporting the bar at any point to which it may be adjusted, as the bar may be supported by two cams at the opposite ends of a shaft fitted to turn in the frame A, or by any other suitable means.

I claim as my invention 1. In an ice-crusher, the combination of two cutters rotated simultaneously in opposite directions, separated from each other by an intervening space, and provided with peripheral rows of teeth, which cooperate to break a lump or block of ice, and an arresting and splitting device placed between said cutters, said device consisting of a bar substantially parallel with the axes of the cutters and knives, or blades projecting from both sides of the bar between the rows of teeth of the cutters, and serving to cut or split the broken pieces of ice, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an ice-crusher, the combination of the two rotary cutters, the vertically adjustable bar having the knives orblades, and means for positively holding said bar at any point to which it may be adjusted, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of December, A. D. 1880.

NATHAN RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, W. OLIMo. 

